[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Have I brought Kirby up before when it comes to Kamen Rider? I feel like I have, but I don’t know where it would’ve been.

Yes, you have brought him up before, pretty much right at the start of the thread, no less.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I guess the best comparison I can have for how I'm processing Kuuga is Jack Kirby.

And I could talk argue Kuuga's merits sticking entirely to that comparison if I wanted to, but I think I'll take it a bit further.

Let's talk about Steve Ditko.



Ditko was a lot less prolific than Kirby, and yet the most iconic of his work is every bit as influential. His run on Spider-Man is truly the stuff of legend. He created one of the most enduring characters in pop culture, the hero who quickly became the face of Marvel Comics. Everyone who has ever drawn a Spider-Man comic since is paying tribute to him in some way.

And yet, Ditko's style simply is also totally inimitable. His dynamic sense and his eye for the weird are products of his own unique imagination. This is obvious simply from looking at Spider-Man's design. A mysterious, lanky figure with his face completely covered by a mask went completely against the common idea of what a hero looks like. It was a look unlike any other, and no matter how many people since then try to play in that sandbox, none of them will ever quite be the same. They can add more lines, more detail, and bring their unique imagination to the table, often creating things that are great in their own right, but there's always one inescapable truth. Only Steve Ditko could be Steve Ditko.

That's how I see Kuuga, compared to Rider shows both before it, and after. It acts as a foundation for the shows that have come since, to be sure, but it isn't something that can simply be "topped". It was a show that did a lot of very bold things that few other shows would ever dare to try. Those final episodes in particular are especially reflective of that. Yuusuke's final showdown with Daguva is by far my favorite ending boss fight in the whole franchise. Kuuga was often unconcerned with being as theatrical as your typical hero show, and that scene takes it all the way. It's not triumphant or satisfying. It's two men beating each other to death. It's unpleasant, it's not fun, and I respect the hell out of Kuuga for going that far. Very, very few series besides Kuuga would have the nerve to show their main hero crying as they lay the smackdown on the ultimate evil. Perhaps even fewer would then go on to have a final episode with no hero action whatsoever.

Kuuga, I've always felt, is a show that had something very special to say. I wish I had watched it more recently so I could do a better job describing it, but even as my memories of how exactly everything played out fade, I won't ever forget how strongly Kuuga portrayed the idea that, as cool as it sounds, being the guy who fights monsters isn't something to be glorified. It's a burden to be taken on, and a heavy one. Without rewatching the show, I can't tell you how much that comes across throughout, but it definitely comes together perfectly at the end, with that final episode in particular making it abundantly clear that the biggest influence Yuusuke had on the people around him was simply being Yuusuke.

So needless to say, I like Kuuga a lot, and if I'm being totally honest, it was something of a surreal experience seeing how difficult it was for you to get into. It was also a really valuable experience, too though, because Kuuga has always been a series I have a hard time seeing how anyone could not love, and I think you did a great job as usual explaining why you felt the way you did. I almost wonder if the light in which you see it will change when you have the shows right after to compare it to, but either way, I'm really looking forward to seeing you talk about Agito.